Cinder draining and disposal plant



JUY '10 1945- w. c. RlcHADsoN 2,339,264

CINDER DRAINING AND DISPOSAL PLANT Filed May 3, 1944 3 SheebS--Sheei'l l mvEN-ron w.c.RncHARDSoN July l0, 1945- w. c. RlcHARDoN 2,380,264 I CINDER DRINING AND DSPOSAL PLANT Filed May 3, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 N W. C.R\CHAF?DSON ATTORNEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 \NVENTOR W- C.R\CHARDSON July 10, 1945. w. c. RICHARDSON CINDER DRAINING AND DISPOSAL PLANT Filed May 5, 1944 Patented JulyA l0, 1945 1 STATES PATENT QFFICE CIllD-lflt` DRAI-NING ANDl DISPOSAL P LANT VllliailterfCj. Richardson, Montreal, Quebec, Ganada.

9 Claims.

This inventionb relates to improvements in cinder. draining and disposalplants of the type disclosed in. my prior Canadian Patent No. 260;413, granted May 4, 1926;

One improvement afforded by the present invention consistsA in the, provision of a simplified arrangement of the conveyor supporting structure which enables the tower formerly employed for supporting the discharge end of the conveyor assembly and 'for housing the conveyor drive mechanism to. bereplaced by a simple supporting frame located `adjacent the `said discharge end ofVl the `conveyor assembly, Inithe simplified arrangement the drive mechanism is located at grade level in driving, engagement with the descending return flight of thevconveyor.

Another improvement `consists in the provision of multiple speed" driving mechanism for selectively driving the conveyor at any one of several predetermined speedsv dependent upon weather conditions or the amount of cinders to be handledat atgven time; In warm weather the conveyor isv preferably driven at aA relatively slow speed to allow greater time, for drying the cinders asthey are carried` from the receiving to the discharge end' ofthe conveyor. In colder weather, or when it is necessary to handle'a largev amount of cinders, it is desirable that'the conveyor be driven at a` higher-rateV of speed for at least a part of thetime; For example, it is sometimes desirableV to drive the conveyor at a relatively high speed for aperiodsuflicient to quickly empty thohopper through which the cinders are delivered to thewconveyoryand to drive the conveyor at a slower` speedfin-order to ensure substantial drainage cwater from thecinders before they reach the discharge end of the conveyor.

A- further improvement-consists'in the provision ot means forv hea-tingthe conveyor structure to prevent ireezing of` the water which drains from the cind'ers asthey are-carried from the receiving to the discharge end o-f the conveyor.

Other improvements, advantages and characteristio features ofi the invention will be more readily understood from theI following detailed description. of the accompanyingy drawings, in whichl Fig; isY a view` partly` inside `elevation and partly in. ver-ticall section ci acinder plant installation embodyingy my invention.

2 is. a partialfvpla-n view of the installationA shcwnin- Fig.. l.

Fig. 3 is. an elevationali View off the frame member which supports the conveyor assembly'adjacent the4 discharge. end.

Fig'. 4, is a sectional yview taken. substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig,` 1.

Referring more vparticularly to the drawings, 5` designates ajcinder pit located below trackrails 6 over which a locomotive (not shown), is run to a cinder discharge position above a, hopper l.

The hopper, is located between the rails 6` and extends downwardly in'to the pit 5., This hopper is preferably provided with a safety grating 8 to prevent personsV falling therethrough. `The cinders discharged 'from the locomotive drop through the hopper 'I onto the underlyingreceiving end of an endless conveyor 9 which is shown in plan in Fig. 2 and isA diagrammatically represented in Fig. 1 by the endless series of conveyor support-- ing rollers I0. Y y

Thefcomponent parts of the conveyor 9 are designed and,` assembled in exactly vthe' same manner asthe. component parts ofthe conveyorv shown in my previously mentionedprior patent. It is therefore deemed suiicient for present purposes to point out that the conveyor, comprises an endless series of articulated cinder conveying4 pans IIV (Fig. 2) carried. between two double-link.A supporting chains I2 which carrythe supporting rollers I ll;

At the receiving end of` the. conveyor the rollers In are trained around anidler. I4- journaled in suitable bearing brackets I5 located below and at one side of the hopper 'I'. At the discharge end of the conveyor the rollers IIl aretrained around an idler I6. suitablyvjournalledat the upper end of the vertically inclined conveyor supporting structure generally, indicatedfat. I1,

The conveyor supporting structure I'I comprises laterally spaced, vertically inclinedchannel members I8 whose lower ends extendv downwardly into the` pit 5 and are fastened to suitable anchormembers I9 located on the bottom wall' of the pit at the side of the hopperl remote from the idler I4. `Adjacent their upper ends the channel members I8- are supported' by a suitably braced frame structure 20- rising froma concrete` footing 2l; Standards 22* are fastened to each of the channelmembers I8 at suitable intervals. These standards, as shown more particularly in Fig, 4, are provided with' upper brackets 23 and lower brackets 24; The brackets 23,carry, upper conveyor guide rails 25` while the brackets 24 carry lower conveyor' guide rails 2li, "The standards carriedby one channel member I8`are paired vwith correspondinglyA located standards carried.

by the opposite channel; member I8, the lower ends 'of the standards of each conveyorY being.

The:

preferably joinedJ togetherA by tie rods 21.

channel members I8 are also joined together by a series of spaced, transversely extending channel irons 29 which support a drain pan 30. The pan supporting anges of the channel irons 29 are notched as at 3| for the passage therethrough of a plurality of heating pipes 32 through which steam is passed to heat the drain pan 30.

'I'he conveyor 9 is driven so that the rollers Ill of the upper flight travel upwardly on the upper track rails while the rollers III of the lower flight travel downwardly on the lower track rails 26. The upper track rails 25 extend from a point close to the lower idler I4 to a point close to the upper idler I6. The lower track rails 26, however, extend only a relatively short distance downwardly from a point adjacent the upper idler I6. The lower ends of the track rails 26 terminate adjacent a chain guard 34 which covers the drive connection provided between the conveyor and the conveyor driving motor 35, the latter being preferably located within a suitable housing 36 provided with a door 31.

. The .motor is a multiple speed electric motor which may be selectively operated at any one of several definite predetermined speeds. The drive connectionbetween the motor andthe conveyor is here shown las comprising a shaft 38 carrying sprocketwheels 39 which engage and drive the supporting rolls I0 of the conveyor as the latter travel downwardly between the lower ends of the rails 26. Shaft 38 carries a relatively large sprocket 40 which is driven by chain 4I from the motor sprocket II2.v

The standards 22 carry brackets 43 to which cover plates 44 are secured. These cover plates extend inwardly over the conveyor rollers I6 and the upper conveyor guide rails 25. Catwalks-45 equipped with hand rails 46 may also be suitably secured to the channel members I8 of the conveyor supporting structure.

TheA conveyor 9 is trained around the idlers I4 and I6 so that there is considerable slack in the return flight of the conveyor between the idler I4 and the conveyor driving sprockets 39.Y This slack portion of the conveyor is indicated at 9a in Fig. 1 and the rollers IIJ thereof travel over horizontal track rails 48 supported on the bottom wall of the pit 5. The track rails 4B are supported so that they have a slight downward inclination toward the idler I4.

A drainage deflecting guard plate 50 is ar ranged beneath the hopper 'I so that it overlies the lower flight of the conveyor in a position to receive thereon the drainage discharged from the lower end of the drain pan 30. The plate 56 serves to deflect the drainage toward portions of the pit lying at opposite sides-of the conveyor and prevents it from falling directly onto the lower ight of the conveyor. A pivot-,ally mounted spring pressed scraper 5I is carried by the upper end of the conveyor supporting structure and serves to scrape the conveyor pans I I as the latter pass in inverted position around the upper idler I6.

The present invention, as described herein, provides a simple and economical arrangement for use in those instances where it is desired to provide only a single hopper for discharging cinders from one locomotive at a time. As previously stated, this simple arrangement eliminates the tower structure provided in the arrangement disclosed in my prior Canadian patent andenables the driving mechanism to be conveniently located at grade level. however, that the driving mechanism of the pres- It will be understood,v

ent invention may, if advisable, be mounted in a tower of the type shown in my prior patent and that various other features of the invention, such as the multiple speed drive mechanism and the steam pipes for heating the drain pan 30, may also be used in an installation of the type described in my prior patent. It will also be understood that the arrangement provided by the present invention may be modified to permit cinders to be simultaneously discharged from several locomotives onto the receiving end of the conveyor. In the latter event it is merely necessary to lengthen the pit and the receiving end of the conveyor and to provide additional hoppers 1.

Having thus described what I now consider to be the preferred embodiment of my invention it will be understood that other modifications may be resorted to within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A cinder plant comprising a pit, a hopper through which cinders are dropped into said pit, a lower idler roll arranged in the pit below and to one side of the hopper, an upper idler roll located a substantial distance above and to one side of the pit, the upper idler roll being also located at the opposite side of the hopper from the lower idler roll, an endless cinder conveyor trained around said idlers, a pair of vertically inclined, laterally spaced frame members lying at opposite sides of said conveyor, said inclined frame members carrying the upper idler roll between their upper ends and having their lower ends anchored to the bottom of the pit at the opposite side of the hopper from the lower idler roll, a pair of upper track rails carried by said inclined frame members and extending longitudinally thereof, said upper track rails extending downwardly from a point adjacent the upper idler roll to a point adjacent the lower end of the inclined frame members and being then directed horizontally beneath the hopper to a point adjacent the lower idler roll, a pair of lower track rails also carried by and extending longitudinally of said inclined frame members, said lower track rails extending downwardly from a point adjacent the upper idler roll to a point located above and to `one side of the pit opening, an additional pair of track rails located on the bottom wall of the pit and extending from a point adjacent the lower idler roll to a point adjacent that side of the pit which is nearest the lower ends of the lower track rails carried by saidinclined frame members, said conveyor being provided with supporting rollers which run on said track rails, the rollers of the upper flight of the conveyor running on the horizontal and inclined portions of the upper track rails carried by said inclined frame members while the rollers of the lower flight of said conveyor run on the lower track rails carried by said inclined frame members and on the track rails mounted on the bottom wall of said pit, driving sprockets arranged adjacent the lower ends of the lower track rails carried by said inclined frame members to engage the lower rollers of the conveyor and thereby drive the conveyor in a direction such that the upper flight of the conveyor travels upwardly along the inclined frame members, the portion of the lower flight of the conveyor located between the drive sprockets and the lower idler roll being sagged so that the rollers 4thereof travel on the rails mounted on the bottom at a point below but adjacent to their upper ends by an underlying vertically extending supporting frame.

3. A cinder plant as set forth in claim 1, including a pan carried by said inclined frame members and located below the upper night of said conveyor and heating conduits located below and close to the bottom wall of said pan.

4. A cinder plant as set forth in claim 1, including cross members extending between said inclined frame members, a pan carried by said cross members and underlying the upper flight of the conveyor and heating conduits positioned below and close to the bottom wall of said pan, said heating conduits extending through openings provided in said cross members and being supported by said cross members.

5. A cinder plant as set forth in claim l, including multiple speed driving mechanism selectively operable to drive said sprockets at one of several predetermined speeds.

6. In a cinder disposal plant of the character described the combination of an endless conveyor, conveyor supporting frame members lying at opposite sides of said conveyor, cross members connecting said frame members and arranged between the upper and lower flights of the conveyor, a pan supported on said cross members and underlying the upper night of the conveyor and heating conduits positioned below and close t0 the bottom of the pan, said conduits extending through openings in said cross members and being supported by the latter.

7. A cinder disposal plant of the character described comprising a pit, a hopper through which cinders are dropped into said pit, an upper pair of vertically inclined track rails having horizontally directed lower end portions located within said pit and extending beneath said hopper, the upper ends of said rails being positioned a substantial distance above and to one side of the hopper, a lower pair of vertically inclined track rails underlying the upper rails and extending downwardly from a point adjacent the `upper ends of the upper rails to a point located above and to one side of the point where the upper rails extend downwardly into said pit, an additional pair oi substantially horizontal track rails mounted on the bottom wall of thel pit and underlying por tions of the upper pair of inclined track rails which extend downwardly beyond the lower ends of the lower pair of inclined track rails, and an endless conveyor trained around upper and lower idlers located, respectively, adjacent the upper and lower ends of the upper pair of track rails, said conveyor being provided with supporting rolls and being arranged so that the rolls of the upper flight travel on the upper pair of inclined track rails while the rolls of the lower flight travel on the lower pair of inclined track rails and on the track rails mounted on the bottom wall of the pit, the lower iiight of the conveyor being sagged between the lower ends of the lower pair of inclined track rails and the lower idler so that the supporting rolls of the sagged section are thereby brought into supporting engagement with the said rails mounted on the bottom wall of the pit.

' 8.1 Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 including a pair of inclined -frame members carrying the upper idler between their upper ends and having their lower ends anchored to the bottom wall of said pit, standards carried by said frame members and equipped with brackets supporting said upper and lower pairs of inclined rails.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 including a pair of inclined frame members carrying thev upper idler between their upper ends and having their lower ends anchored to the bottom wall of said pit, standards carried by said frame niembers and equipped with brackets supporting said upper and lower pairs of inclined walls, and guard plates overlying the side portions of the upper flight of the conveyor, said guard plates being carried by said standards.

WALTER C. RICHARDSON. 

